The Argosy for May — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE queried George dubiously. “ Report the affair to the police, and let them take up the trail?” ‘No; I don’t believe I would advise that just yet a while. Of course, it may be ‘necessary to go to them in the end; but you know what a lot of notori- ety it entails, and I for one am by no means convinced .that if we play our cards right we cannot satisfactorily han- dle the business for ourselves.”’ They had passed out at the gate by this time, and with the crowd surging all about them, and the possibility of some of Spear’s friends being at their very elbows, there was no chance for further conversation until they had boarded the train for New York. Seated at last in a parlor-car en route to the city, however, and with their heads bent close together, Rock proceed- ed to elucidate his plans. “In starting out to run down this crook,” he said, ‘‘ it seems to me that we ought as far as possible to put ourselves in his place, and try fairly to consider what we would do under like circum- stances. ‘Now, here is a chap with a loti of stolen booty in his pockets, and the natural inference would be, it is true, that he is going to get himself out of the way as speedily as possible. But, on the other hand, we must remember he does not think that his victims are aware of the fact they have been buncoed, or are likely to discover it until a consid- erable time shall elapse; you, for several months perhaps, and me—’”’ He caught himself .sharply together with a frown; but George had noted the slip of the tongue, and exclaimed with eager curiosity: “You! Do you mean to say that he got you, too?”’ “Never mind about that now,” im- patiently. “If he did get me, it was for nothing like the amount for which he landed you, nor was it by any such openly criminal act. “But, at any rate, as I was saying, he is apt to be fairly comfortable in his mind; and, feeling that there is no par- : ticular cause for haste, will arrange his departure to suit his own convenience, in the meantime making no change in his regular routine. 2 TIME FOR ACTION. 209 © pander ordinary circumstances, there- fore, if I wanted to find him, I would simply visit one after another of his usual hang-outs until I finally ran across him; but, as the case stands now, that doesn’t seem exactly advisable for two . good reasons.” ‘“'What are they?” “Well, in the first place, our ill-ad- vised actions: at the track may have put ~ him on his guard, so that he is avoiding an appearance in public and hurriedly getting ready to fly.” ‘And the other reason?” An expression of grim determination showed upon Rock’s resolute counte- nance. “Simply that when I do have it out with that gentleman I want to be where our interviéw shall run no danger of being interfered with by bystanders or the authorities. Neither your bonds nor my money can be got back by law with- out publicity and scandal; but I think” —significantly—"Y can get them back— that is, your bonds to a certainty, and as much of my money as he has left.” ‘But how will you locate him?” asked George. “ You don’t know where he lives, do you? And, as you have al- ready said, to go around asking questions would only serve to put him on his guard.” “True; so I am going to act on the old principle for hunting snakes, They always travel in pairs, you know; and if you can locate the haunt of one, the other is pretty sure to put in a speedy appearance also, Now, as you say, I don’t know where Spear hangs up; but I am pretty well acquainted with Corn- ing’s apartments, and there is where I am going.” “Corning!” ejaculated the boy. ‘‘ Oh, I say, Harry, you don’t really believe that Arthur was in on the deal, do you?” Rock’s frankly contemplated laugh was not exactly pleasant to hear, ‘“ Believe it?” he said. ‘‘ Why, George Ramsey, if the angel Gabriel himself was to try and tell me that chap was on the square, I’d have to give him the lie. “In on the deal?” he continued. “T’d be willing to make a good-sized wager that the two of them are sitting in some restaurant at this very second, jollifying over the complete way in MICLOOOKS aa (CO)